Diabetes Resources
Diabetes is a prevalent chronic disease in the United States. It can lead to many detrimental outcomes for patients, including kidney failure, lower-limb amputation, and adult blindness. Each time a patient comes to your facility, there is a strong chance that you may find yourself treating the effects of uncontrolled or undiagnosed diabetes. This is important because it leads to increased risk of readmissions and medical costs, as well as lost work and wages for the patient. The KHA Quality department has a goal this year of bringing awareness to diabetes, so that it stays in the forefront of your mind as you treat your patients and make decisions with them that can ultimately lead to a healthier Kentucky. Each month, I will share a short webisode, games, statistics, or resources to enhance your knowledge.
Jessica Covington, PharmD, BCPS
Quality Program Pharmacist
Kentucky Hospital Association
jcovington@kyha.com
What You Eat Matters
May 2025
Please join Jessica Covington, KHA Quality Program Pharmacist and Kathleen Stanley, a Certified Diabetes Education Specialist and Registered Dietitian at Baptist Health Lexington for a compelling interview on diabetic food choices and helpful tips to remember for the diabetic patients to maintain healthy eating. Kathleen has been in the field of dietary diabetic management for over 30 years, and has published many articles and cookbooks on the topic, has served as an editor for professional journals, and has spoken at many national conferences and state associations. Kathleen‘s program currently offers diabetes education, diabetes prevention programs, nutrition programs and exercise education to patients. I hope you enjoy the webisode, and I look forward to continuing a successful year of addressing all things diabetes with you.
Get in on the Action!
April 2025
Learn how you can be involved in the development of an action plan to help identify gaps that may exist which prevent people with diabetes from being regularly screened for kidney and eye disease. Jessica Covington, KHA Quality Program Pharmacist joins Natalie Middaugh, the President and CEO at the Kentuckiana Health Collaborative (KHC), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to build healthier communities through high quality, affordable, and equitable healthcare. In this role, Natalie leads efforts to engage, align, and mobilize healthcare stakeholders to drive improvements in health and healthcare delivery. Natalie champions a collaborative, systems-thinking approach to building the health and healthcare systems we all deserve. KHC is seeking your input on assessing proper screening of diabetes-related complications such as nephropathy and retinopathy. KHC ad Kentucky Department of Public Health (KDPH) have partnered together to develop an action plan to increase screening rates for kidney and eye disease among people with diabetes.
How can you help? Please watch the webisode to learn more plus click on the survey link to assess screening practices for diabetes-related kidney and eye disease. The survey will inform the development of that action plan by assessing current practices in diabetes related kidney and eye screening plus address barriers that may exist to prevent people with diabetes from being regularly screened for kidney and eye disease. I hope you enjoy the webisode, and I look forward to continuing a successful year of addressing all things diabetes with you.
Glycemic Metrics Explained: Severe Hypo- and Hyper- Glycemia
March 2025
Why should your hospital participate in the CMS glycemic measures? This month Shafrin Choudhury, KHA Quality Improvement Data Analyst and myself, Jessica Covington, PharmD, BCPS explain how the glycemic measures are intended to be used and how to get the maximum benefit for your hospital and your patients through their utilization. The KHA Quality team wants to help the KY hospitals get ahead of the curve and get credit for the amazing work they are doing already! Please join us this month to learn more about the CMS glycemic metrics. I hope you enjoy the webisode, and I look forward to continuing a successful year of addressing all things diabetes with you.
Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
February 2025
This month, Melissa Johnson, Program Consultant in Health Care Quality from the American Heart Association, joined the KHA February Diabetes Awareness Campaign to discuss the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll and diabetes resources. In her role, Melissa collaborates with health care professionals and organizations to develop and implement quality improvement initiatives aimed at enhancing cardiovascular care. Her dedication to patient education and quality improvement continues to make a significant impact in health care.
To view the 12-minute webisode, click the link below to learn more about the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll and diabetes resources. I hope you enjoy the webisode, and I look forward to a successful year of addressing all things diabetes with you.
Diabetes Overview
January 2025
Diabetes is a prevalent chronic disease in the United States. It can lead to many detrimental outcomes for patients, including kidney failure, lower-limb amputation, and adult blindness. Each time a patient comes to your facility, there is a strong chance that you may find yourself treating the effects of uncontrolled or undiagnosed diabetes. This is important because it leads to increased risk of readmissions and medical costs, as well as lost work and wages for the patient. The KHA Quality department has a goal this year of bringing awareness to diabetes, so that it stays in the forefront of your mind as you treat your patients and make decisions with them that can ultimately lead to a healthier Kentucky. Each month, I will share a short webisode, games, statistics, or resources to enhance your knowledge.